A Stanley Cup champion is headed to Seattle.
On a busy first day of free agency, the Seattle Kraken opted to add some championship pedigree to their young roster, agreeing to terms with forward Andre Burakovsky on a five-year contract worth an average annual value of $5.5 million.
The details of the deal, which now ties Burakovsky to Seattle through the 2026-27 season, such as its salary structure and inclusion of any trade protection, have yet to be released.
Coming off a career-best season, Burakovsky now cashes in at the height of his value. The 27-year-old set personal highs across the board in 2021-22, racking up 22 goals and 41 assists for 61 points in 80 games for the Avalanche while logging a touch over 16 minutes of ice time per night.
It wasn’t all pretty, however. Burakovsky did struggle somewhat in the playoffs, even being healthy scratched at points during the second round, but ultimately found his game at the best possible moment by scoring the overtime winner against the Tampa Bay Lightning to give the Avalanche a 1-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup final.
Now heading to Seattle, Burakovsky will likely be given a far bigger role than he had in Colorado, vaunting into the team’s top-six and perhaps even slotting in on the Kraken’s power play, as well.
The $5.5 million price tag is a risk for a player with Burakovsky’s injury history, but the sniper did suit up in nearly all of the Avalanche’s regular season games last season and will now have an entire summer to heal up for the year ahead.
